Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Some Jewish/Catholic/Jewish Catholic thoughts
Message: 15
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 14:37:12 -0000
From: "Marcela"
Subject: The conference
I was asked often during the conference why I was there and why I
had traveled from so far (DC is far?) for a conference about Jewish
Catholics (or Hebrew Catholics... or... :) )
As usual, I rarely find the right words to say at the moment. I will
share with you a funny story which I have always taken as a powerful
lesson that has repeated itself throughout my life. It is part of
God's "Keep Marcela small and unimportant project". When I was a
postulant with the Franciscans of the Renewal (1991), we had a
celebration and Fr Benedict brought a guest, Fr Richard John
Neuhaus. We were all gathered around them, waiting for some
interesting conversation to develop. I was young in the faith and
desired greatly to connect with those with whom I shared a common
vision. So at some point Fr Neuhaus turned to me and asked, "How did
you come to New York?" All eyes turned to me and I answered "I rode
the bus." Everyone got a good laugh. Of course, he was asking for
the spiritual reason I had gone to New York. Anyway, that moment has
always stuck with me.
The main reason for this trip to NYC is God's own which He has yet
to fully reveal to me except that prayer is needed and I am suited
to that. This year I might have made my solemn vows in the
Carthusian Order or been a CFR of many years. But I may or may not
have ever become aware of this movement in the Church. So all that
has gone before must be a preparation for what happened this weekend
and what is yet to come.
These conferences are theological events. Not just neat speakers and
interesting topics. People are being brought together by the Holy
Spirit for an event of grace.
I really believe this. I can't help but believe it. I spoke with
other Gentile Catholics there as well who felt attracted to this for
some reason. I don't think its Jewphilia even though I joke about
being a groupie. I love the Church and I feel her yearning for her
eldest child, Israel.
I especially liked Mark's talk on St Joseph because I too think we
need St Joseph to have a complete view of God's plan.
Growing up my religious education revolved around those children
Bibles one finds in doctor's offices (I went to doctors offices
often for vaccinations and travel certificates), Lewis' Chronicles
of Narnia, Tolkien's Hobbit and LoTR, Leon Uris, and Chaim Potok. I
simply loved all those old Bible movies like The Ten Commandments
and Quo Vadis. I had been to St. Peter's at the age of six, seen his
chains and tomb, and knew from that point that the Catholic Church
was "the" Church and that it was the historical continuation of the
Old Covenant. I always loved history. I wonder if the reason people
don't seem to get it, is that there is very little sense of history.
I know most people I talk to know more about the history of Brittany
Spears than the history of Western Civilization. Without a
historical sense, the Jewish people lose their significance to the
faith (IMHO!). The rising interest in biblical study among lay
people has to stress the importance of the people still present.
Something I talked to Athol about: some of us Gentiles are also
without a community. My parents moved to the US when they were 18
and so I do not have a cultural community. I think many probably
feel the same way. I know part of my attraction to the Jews is their
being a people... maybe that is something they will bring to the
Church, a stress on being a people rather than a religion (among
many). It seems to me that we need to move from stressing ideas
about God and more on being the people of God's election and living
the theology.
Oh and I went to NY on a bus... again. :)
God bless you all.
Marcela
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 14:37:12 -0000
From: "Marcela"
Subject: The conference
I was asked often during the conference why I was there and why I
had traveled from so far (DC is far?) for a conference about Jewish
Catholics (or Hebrew Catholics... or... :) )
As usual, I rarely find the right words to say at the moment. I will
share with you a funny story which I have always taken as a powerful
lesson that has repeated itself throughout my life. It is part of
God's "Keep Marcela small and unimportant project". When I was a
postulant with the Franciscans of the Renewal (1991), we had a
celebration and Fr Benedict brought a guest, Fr Richard John
Neuhaus. We were all gathered around them, waiting for some
interesting conversation to develop. I was young in the faith and
desired greatly to connect with those with whom I shared a common
vision. So at some point Fr Neuhaus turned to me and asked, "How did
you come to New York?" All eyes turned to me and I answered "I rode
the bus." Everyone got a good laugh. Of course, he was asking for
the spiritual reason I had gone to New York. Anyway, that moment has
always stuck with me.
The main reason for this trip to NYC is God's own which He has yet
to fully reveal to me except that prayer is needed and I am suited
to that. This year I might have made my solemn vows in the
Carthusian Order or been a CFR of many years. But I may or may not
have ever become aware of this movement in the Church. So all that
has gone before must be a preparation for what happened this weekend
and what is yet to come.
These conferences are theological events. Not just neat speakers and
interesting topics. People are being brought together by the Holy
Spirit for an event of grace.
I really believe this. I can't help but believe it. I spoke with
other Gentile Catholics there as well who felt attracted to this for
some reason. I don't think its Jewphilia even though I joke about
being a groupie. I love the Church and I feel her yearning for her
eldest child, Israel.
I especially liked Mark's talk on St Joseph because I too think we
need St Joseph to have a complete view of God's plan.
Growing up my religious education revolved around those children
Bibles one finds in doctor's offices (I went to doctors offices
often for vaccinations and travel certificates), Lewis' Chronicles
of Narnia, Tolkien's Hobbit and LoTR, Leon Uris, and Chaim Potok. I
simply loved all those old Bible movies like The Ten Commandments
and Quo Vadis. I had been to St. Peter's at the age of six, seen his
chains and tomb, and knew from that point that the Catholic Church
was "the" Church and that it was the historical continuation of the
Old Covenant. I always loved history. I wonder if the reason people
don't seem to get it, is that there is very little sense of history.
I know most people I talk to know more about the history of Brittany
Spears than the history of Western Civilization. Without a
historical sense, the Jewish people lose their significance to the
faith (IMHO!). The rising interest in biblical study among lay
people has to stress the importance of the people still present.
Something I talked to Athol about: some of us Gentiles are also
without a community. My parents moved to the US when they were 18
and so I do not have a cultural community. I think many probably
feel the same way. I know part of my attraction to the Jews is their
being a people... maybe that is something they will bring to the
Church, a stress on being a people rather than a religion (among
many). It seems to me that we need to move from stressing ideas
about God and more on being the people of God's election and living
the theology.
Oh and I went to NY on a bus... again. :)
God bless you all.
Marcela
